Duolingo has launched Duolingo Ads, a new direct ad sales platform that gives brands access to premium inventory and custom formats featuring the app’s signature characters.
Taking greater control over its ad operations with this new mobile-first ad feature, the language learning app is aiming to offer advertisers a more curated and brand safe environment. Duolingo has long served ads on demand-side platforms to users on its free tier, who make up some 90% of its global audience.
Prior to this launch, Duolingo’s ad inventory offered two primary formats: skippable interstitials that play after lessons, and rewarded videos that give users the option to view branded content and earn in-app currency.
Major brands including Marriott Bonvoy, Intrepid Travel, Universal Pictures, and Adobe have been testing the new ad platform since May. On this platform, Duolingo is introducing animated and character-driven ads that blend storytelling with its trademark humour and visual style, offering brands a fresh way to advertise while integrating into the app’s unique learning environment.
Duolingo reported that two-thirds of its launch partners have shown promising results, with click-through rates increasing by some 3% and attaining completion rates of as high as 94% for rewarded videos.
Since 2015, Duolingo has partnered with Google AdMob to monetise its free user base and has confirmed the partnership with continue in tandem with its in-house ad platform. The company also indicated that programmatic will continue to play a role in its ad ecosystem.
Duolingo has over 128 million monthly active users and stands out in the mobile app space for its viral marketing strategies fronted by Duo the Owl. The app has built a distinct reputation for its eccentric campaigns and playful collaborations with brands with brands such as Luckin Coffee.